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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282130">Chapter 5</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snufflesw/pseuds/Snufflesw'>Snufflesw</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also why is American English so weird, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Choking, Death, F/F, F/M, Gen, Hanging, Implied Akamatsu Kaede x Saihara Shuichi, M/M, Mastermind Shirogane Tsumugi, Monokuma File, Multi, Other, Slit Throat, Translated from Swedish that's why it sucks, Triggers, Violence, implied saimatsu, rope, you don't even have a word for blimey tf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:49:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27282130</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snufflesw/pseuds/Snufflesw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Shuichi Saihara finds his own dead body in the Ultimate Pianist's Research Lab, a new mystery through the paranormal comes forward. Shuichi has to find out who killed him, only walking around the academy as a ghost and with help from his late friends Kaede Akamatsu and Rantaro Amami. Can Shuichi, Kaede and Rantaro find the truth behind his murder before the class trial begins or will it end with the killer winning?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Set during Chapter 5 of New Danganronpa V3 Killing Harmony, hence the name. Kaede Akamatsu, Rantaro Amami, Ryoma Hoshi, Kirumi Tojo, Korekiyo Shinguji, Angie Yonaga, Tenko Chabashira, Miu Iruma and Gonta Gokuhara are dead.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything was black and darkness was the only thing Shuichi was able to see, or not see, in the far distance. What had happened to him? He didn't remember anything. He couldn't figure out what had happened either. The last thing Shuichi remembered was that he fell asleep in his room in the dormitory at the academy. Maybe he was still sleeping? Though, that didn't explain that quiet sound he seemed to hear.</p><p>    That's when he opened his eyes and immediately felt the warmth from laying in the bed. It was exactly like he remembered then, he was still laying in his bed. Though that sound he seemed to hear kept getting louder and louder. That's when he found out where the sound actually came from.</p><p>    Ding dong, bing bong.</p><p>    Shuichi's attention and eyes travelled to the corner of the room and as he looked up at the monitor on the wall, the screen immediately lit up. On the screen, he saw that stupid bear that put him and the other's on the academy in danger. It was hard to not remember that bear Shuichi hated so much.</p><p>    "Seems like another body has been discovered. Please gather in the... Ultimate Pianists Research Lab. This is gonna be interesting", he said. When he had said his last words, the screen went black on the monitor.</p><p>    The Ultimate Pianists Research Lab? That was Kaede's lab. Kaede was Shuichi's first friend at the academy, but tragically she died in this fucking killing game. A few weeks ago Shuichi and fifteen other students arrived in some mysterious way at this academy. Here they were trapped between the walls that circled around the academy, but you could leave the academy if you decided to kill somebody. If they killed someone and got away with it then they would be able to leave the academy and return to their normal lives. Shuichi knew that it sounded absurd but there were actually many, a lot of people that died. Under the few weeks that passed, they lost not only one or two of their friends. They lost as many as nine people under those weeks. The first people that died were Kaede and Rantaro. Kaede was the one that murdered Rantaro and because of that, she got executed. The memory was still a scar that hadn't healed yet for Shuichi. Now there were only seven people alive in the killing game. Though, it's probably only six now as somebody just had died according to the body discovery announcement.</p><p>    Shuichi didn't have time to think about that anymore, he had to see who it was that died. He may only be an apprentice but he was the Ultimate Detective and it was always him who figured out who the blackened was that had killed the victim in every case. Shuichi thought it was quite ironic how he was trapped at the academy and had to participate in a killing game.</p><p>    Shuichi didn't have time to waste so he jumped out of the bed and ran out of his room, out of the dormitory and eventually came out in the courtyard. When he was in the courtyard, he saw a girl he much recognised. The girl was his friend Maki and Shuichi was very happy that she wasn't the one that had died. Shuichi ran up to her and almost immediately opened his mouth to talk to her.</p><p>    "Maki, did you hear about the body discovery announcement?"</p><p>    Maki didn't answer Shuichi. It was almost as if she didn't hear him, or didn't see him for that matter. Maki looked incredibly pale, just as pale as a ghost. Shuichi tried to get her attention but it seemed to be hopeless.</p><p>    "Maki, you should hurry!" Shuichi heard a voice say farther away from them. Shuichi identified the owner of the voice as one of him and Maki's mutual friends, Tsumugi. Her blue dress danced through the wind as she began running into the academy.</p><p>    "Coming!" Maki yelled back to Tsumugi and thereafter she also began to run into the academy. Maki's brown hair that was in two pigtails also danced in the wind as she ran.</p><p>    Shuichi ran after them, confused as to why Maki didn't answer him. When he ran through the doors to the academy he could swear that he saw someone he recognised in the corner of his eyes. Someone that should've been dead for a while now.</p><p>    Shuichi was the last one to enter the Ultimate Pianists Research Lab on the second floor, whereas he was able to perceive the people gathered in the room. Maki and Tsumugi, together with their four other friends, Kaito, Kokichi, Keebo and Himiko were there. Wait... where they all there?</p><p>    Shuichi counted them all together many times and all of the times he counted he got the same result. If you also counted Shuichi then there were seven people in the room, so how is it that someone had died? Maybe it was a false alarm, something with the monitor that made it believe someone had died? That was the only solution Shuichi could reach.</p><p>    Shuichi saw a rope hanging from the ceiling of the lab, so maybe his first theory was wrong, but he couldn't come up with another reason as to why they were all gathered in the Ultimate Pianists Research lab. Maybe Monokuma had done some mischief again?</p><p>    Shuichi shook his head, he would not think about it too much, otherwise, he would stand there for hours. He had to find out who died and how. That was his whole role as the Ultimate Detective. He adjusted his black uniform and went with determined steps around everyone to see who had died. Though the moment he saw who was hanging from the rope, his whole body froze. The black uniform, the long legs, the slim build, the grey, wide-opened eyes, the dark blue hair. Yes, how unbelievable it may sound, it was him. It was Shuichi hanging from the rope from the ceiling.</p><p>    The only thing that came out of Shuichi's mouth was a terrified scream, and his scream got even louder when he realized that no one of his friends heard him. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Why was he dead? How did he die? How was he murdered? Was it suicide? It looked like it was, but Shuichi hadn't felt that he wanted to take his own life the past few days. Was he murdered and the murderer made the crime scene look like a suicide? Shuichi had so many questions and no answers to them.</p><p>    In the despair that he felt once he realized that he was really dead, he noticed something weird across the right wall of the room. The right wall had two large windows with purple curtains over them and when Shuichi looked closer, he could see that one of the windows were open. He looked out from the window and there he saw something extremely strange. A long rope was firmly placed at the end of the window and went all the way down to the green, grassy ground on the first floor. He knew that he had to investigate that later.</p><p>    Was he actually gonna do this? Was he actually gonna solve the murder of himself? Not even dead was he able to rest in peace.</p><p>    Shuichi heard his friends talk to each other about what could've happened, but Shuichi wasn't that interested in the conversation that was led by Kaito. Shuichi could see that between that strong smile of his, the sadness was about to overpower him. Shuichi could count Kaito as not being the murderer, not even in a hundred years would Shuichi accuse Kaito of his murder. The same with Maki, she may be the Ultimate Assassin, but she was still one of Shuichi's closest friends, and he could never accuse a friend.</p><p>    Even if Shuichi wanted to believe what he just said, the minute he put his hand on the Research Lab's door he knew, that was a lie.</p><p>    What awaited Shuichi the second he opened the door was even more unbelievable than him having to solve his own murder. Because on that other side of the door, two people stumbled into the Lab. A tall boy with short avocado green hair and a tall girl with long blonde hair. They were two people Shuichi very well recognised but they were two people he very well knew had been dead for a long time.</p><p>    "K-Kaede?! R-Rantaro?!" Shuichi exclaimed the second he saw them.</p><p>    "Shuichi?!" came out from the blonde girl's mouth as she looked up at Shuichi from the place she was laying on the floor. That was the first time they had seen each other since Kaede died.</p><p>    Shuichi bent down to her level and took her hands and managed to help her up from the floor. The warmth of Kaede's hands were still there even if she was dead. It had been so long and for the first time in a long time Shuichi was finally able to look into the pink eyes that belonged to Kaede again.</p><p>    "Yeah, ouch, just forget about me, I see", Shuichi heard the late Rantaro say. "Akamatsu, I told you we didn't have to eavesdrop through the door."</p><p>    "And I told you that we wouldn't get any information otherwise", Kaede answered Rantaro and looked back at him.</p><p>    "We didn't need more information than that Shuichi was the one who died", Rantaro said to Kaede, a little annoyance behind the voice. "And we more or less found that out when we heard his scream."</p><p>    Shuichi felt his cheeks go red, "You heard that?"</p><p>    "Sadly, but yeah, we heard. We're also dead, Shuichi", Kaede said and put her hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "But that doesn't prevent us from trying to solve the murder."</p><p>    "So you also believe it was murder?"</p><p>    "I had my doubts about it", Rantaro answered and went inside the lab, around the other's who were still there, and looked at Shuichi's dead body that hung from the ceiling. "But I don't think you would be stupid enough to commit suicide. Especially not in this situation we're in right now."</p><p>    What Rantaro said was actually true. Shuichi may not remember what happened the day before, or who murdered him, but he would never consider taking his own life. Absolutely not in a killing game for that matter. No, Shuichi was certain of it, someone else took his life. Whoever it may be, he didn't know, but it seemed like he, Kaede and Rantaro would find that truth together.</p><p>    "Let's investigate!" Kaede said with a wide smile, maybe a little over exaggerated but that was Kaede as a whole.</p><p>    Because the body was hanging from the ceiling of the lab, it was hard to investigate it and what could be the cause of death. That's why Shuichi decided to investigate around the body and around the lab instead. He also had to investigate that rope hanging from the lab's window.</p><p>    Kaede and Rantaro had begun to investigate around the lab. They probably thought Shuichi would solve everything. Which he, Spoiler Alert, actually would. Kaede had gotten stuck by the CD-disks by the north wall of the room. It wasn't that weird actually, she was the Ultimate Pianist in her own Research Lab.</p><p>    Shuichi went to the rest of his living friends to listen to their conversation. Maybe he would get their alibi and find out what they did during the murder.</p><p>    "The victim is Shuichi Saihara", Shuichi heard Maki's voice say, almost like she was reading something. That's right! The Monokuma File! They always received it from Monokuma after everyone had gathered at the crime scene. Shuichi continued to listen. "The time of death is around 2AM. The cause of death seems to be choking. He also seems to have puked up blood, but there are no signs of internal injuries."</p><p>    "That didn't give a lot", Kaito said to Maki and pulled his purple jacket tighter around his shoulders. "We already knew he was choked to death. That much is obvious."</p><p>    "We can also see who the murderer is through the time of death", Tsumugi said and looked down on the others. "2AM! The person that doesn't have an alibi during that time has to be the murderer!".</p><p>    "So what were we all doing at 2AM?" Keebo asked the others.</p><p>    "I was sleeping", almost everyone said at the same time.</p><p>    "It's almost perfect for the murderer", Shuichi heard a voice say. It was Kokichi. The grin could be heard through his voice and that gave Shuichi chills down his spine. "The murderer made sure that no one had an alibi once the murder took place. It's genius!"</p><p>    "Oh, right, I forgot that you were still alive", Kaito said to Kokichi, which made Shuichi giggle a little. They definitely didn't like each other, and it seemed like that hate was even stronger now that Shuichi was dead.</p><p>    "If you want me gone so bad, Kaito, then you can just kill me, nishishi", Kokichi said with a grin towards Kaito.</p><p>    "As if I would sink to your level, Kokichi. Never", Kaito answered.</p><p>    "Do as you please", said Kokichi and went with light steps in the direction of the lab's door. He passed right next to Shuichi and it almost felt as if Kokichi realized he was there.</p><p>    "Where are you going?" asked Maki.</p><p>    "Well, I don't think you want any help from me. Also, I believe that Mr Detective has everything under control", said Kokichi with a last glance at Shuichi's dead body before disappearing out of the Research Lab door.</p><p>    Shuichi excluded Kokichi from being the killer after that.</p><p>    "Hey, Shuichi", called Kaede after him.</p><p>    Shuichi went up to Kaede, who was by the same window Shuichi had noticed was opened. She must've discovered the same thing he did.</p><p>    "The window is slightly opened and it seems to be a rope down to the ground", Kaede told Shuichi. "It seems to be the murderer's escape route."</p><p>    "Great job, Kaede", said Shuichi, even if he already knew about it from the beginning. "Did you find something else?"</p><p>    "Yes, I actually did", answered Kaede and opened up the window so you could see where the rope was attached to. "It confused me as to why the murderer wouldn't get rid of a clue so obvious. Even if you close the window, you could easily see the rope. Which led me to the following two conclusions: either this is just here to mislead us or something went terribly wrong when the culprit was about to escape."</p><p>    "What do you mean?" Shuichi asked Kaede, very surprised at how Kaede could come up with those conclusions before Shuichi. Shuichi hadn't gotten used to being dead yet, so perhaps that could play a huge role with his lack of detective skills at the moment. It seemed that Kaede and Rantaro were used to it though, but that wasn't so weird.</p><p>    "Look here", answered Kaede and pointed at the rope attached to a hook in the window frame. "At first glance it may look like the rope is attached to the hook, right?" Shuichi nodded. "But, if you look closer, you're able to see that the rope got stuck instead."</p><p>    When the words left Kaede's mouth, Shuichi swore that he could also see it. The rope had gotten stuck in the hook, but not that the culprit attached it there. More that it got caught there by mistake.</p><p>    "I also found another hook up there", continued Kaede and pointed at the window frame above them instead. "Attaching the rope there would be safer than the one down here, and if you look at the ground. You can see a piece of fabric next to the end of the rope. Which leads me to the final conclusion: when the culprit was about to escape they did it through the window and with the rope. Somehow a piece of their clothing must've gotten caught in one of the hooks and tore out a piece of their clothes that fell on the ground. No murderer would let something like this be out in the open, even amateurs know that. So, when the murderer tried to get rid of the rope, it must've gotten stuck in the other hook."</p><p>    Shuichi let everything Kaede had told him into his mind as he thought through it. He was very surprised at how Kaede managed to summarise what she found so perfectly. It was almost as if she was a detective herself. Shuichi was almost a little jealous of her. Almost.</p><p>    "That sounds believable, no, not only believable but almost obvious", said Shuichi and corrected himself. That's when he realized something terrible and looked at Kaede, "But to get up to the highest hook you have to be very tall. The windows here are... yeah, almost two metres." (According to Google that's 6.56168 feet.)</p><p>    Kaede looked away from Shuichi, not meeting his eyes and opened her mouth, "I was afraid of that. The only person tall enough to do this would be..."</p><p>    It seemed like both Shuichi and Kaede thought of the same thing, because they both looked over at their friends who were still alive. Both of their eyes landed on Kaito, who was by sure the tallest out of the people that could've murdered Shuichi. Kaito had loosened the rope that had Shuichi's body in the air. Maki held the body while they lowered Shuichi's body and laid him on the floor. Both of them had the saddest expressions on their faces that Shuichi had ever seen.</p><p>    "I'm sorry, Shuichi", Shuichi heard Kaede say and he could feel something slowly grabbing his hand. "I know that you have gotten close lately, but I'm afraid that it can't be anyone other than Kaito."</p><p>    Shuichi couldn't believe that. He didn't want to believe it. If someone had murdered him then Shuichi knew it couldn't have been Kaito, or Maki. He had to find evidence that pointed to the opposite.</p><p>    The fabric on the ground, of course.</p><p>    "Kaede, can you go and look at the rope from the outside and grab the fabric piece? With it we might be able to find out who the real killer is", Shuichi asked and looked at Kaede. "Rantaro and I can investigate the body while you're getting it."</p><p>    Kaede looked a little surprised at Shuichi's outburst, but she didn't say anything. She just tightened her face to a serious expression and nodded at Shuichi. Kaede went with determined steps to the Research Lab's door and with a last glance at Shuichi, she went out of the door and disappeared. Tsumugi, Himiko and Keebo also went out of the door at the same time. They were never with them and investigated the other murders, it didn't seem like this was any different. Even if it was the Ultimate Detective Shuichi Saihara who had lost his life.</p><p>    Kaede almost ran down the stairs and went out in the courtyard when she got the order from Shuichi. Of course she didn't believe that Kaito murdered Shuichi, but the suspicion was still there when she had gotten to the rope from the outside. She looked up to the window, but she couldn't see either Shuichi or Rantaro looking down at her.</p><p>    Kaede looked down at the ground and saw the fabric piece laying there untouched. As if peace on earth had finally been made. The fabric piece was very big, so it must've gotten stuck pretty badly on the hook. The piece had a dark blue color and seemed to come from a long clothing item. Maybe pants? Or a dress?</p><p>    Kaede was about to go back with the fabric to Shuichi but something stopped her. The loud noise of a door opening and closing filled Kaede's ears. It was the door that went inside the academy and out to the courtyard. It was such a coincidence, because out on the courtyard came the person whom the fabric piece would fit absolutely perfect to.</p><p>    Meanwhile in the Ultimate Pianists Research Lab, Shuichi and Rantaro had begun investigating Shuichi's dead body. Even if they had to be extra careful as Maki and Kaito also investigated it.</p><p>    "Where did you send Akamatsu?" Rantaro asked Shuichi as they watched how Maki and Kaito emptied the pockets on the dead Shuichi's uniform.</p><p>    Shuichi was surprised by the question, "Oh, just out to bring a clue that might belong to the culprit", he answered, but opened his mouth just as quickly again. "Why do you address Kaede with her last name?"</p><p>    "She was the one who murdered me", answered Rantaro with a laugh that sounded gloomy. "I feel that, as she was the one that took my life, we are far from friends. That's why I think it's better to address her as Akamatsu than Kaede."</p><p>    "I understand", Shuichi answered. He didn't know how he would respond. If they managed to execute Shuichi's murderer, would he also address them by their last name? Or was he just surprised at Rantaro's way of thinking? That seemed more plausible.</p><p>    "Did you find his room key?" Shuichi heard the voice of Maki ask. Shuichi's glance left Rantaro and looked at Maki who watched Kaito, who sat beside her, with a serious expression on her face.</p><p>    "No, it's almost as if it isn't here", Kaito answered her while looking through the dead body's pockets.</p><p>    As if it isn't there? Shuichi always puts the room keys in the left pocket of his uniform. He'd done that since the day he got the keys, the day he got to the academy. So where could the key's be? The culprit's room was a possibility. Then who was the killer?</p><p>    "Do you see the blood?" Rantaro's dark voice interrupted Shuichi's thoughts and he looked at the taller boy. Rantaro continued. "There's blood on the floor almost at the place you got hanged."</p><p>    Rantaro took out his hand and with a long index finger he pointed where the dead Shuichi's head was placed. Underneath you were able to see a bit of the pink blood that probably belonged to Shuichi. It said in the Monokuma file that he had puked up blood, but why?</p><p>    He saw how Maki and Kaito removed the rope from his neck. Right on the neck you were able to see a large wound, around the wound was dried blood.</p><p>    Almost immediately Rantaro opened his mouth again, "Your throat's been slit, Shuichi."</p><p>    "Yeah, I can see that", Shuichi responded and looked at the wound surprised. That was probably the reason he puked blood.</p><p>    "That explains the blood", Rantaro said and put his finger on his chin. "But that doesn't explain how you died. It would seem more believable that you died of choking."</p><p>    "Not really", Shuichi said and looked at Rantaro. "It could be that the culprit first wanted me to die by a slit by the throat, or wanted me to die of blood loss. You can survive a slit by the throat if the wound isn't deep enough. Seems like I was lucky."</p><p>    "Not that lucky, as the murderer choked you right after the slit didn't seem to work", said Rantaro and thought about what Shuichi had just said to him.</p><p>    "Hey Kaito, I found this when I walked inside", they heard Maki's voice say. In her hand she held a black ink pen and showed it to Kaito. "Do you think it has something to do with the murder?"</p><p>    "I don't know", Kaito said and scratched his head. "It could be Kaede's and dropped it here right before she died."</p><p>    "Oh", Maki looked at Kaito a little sad. As if she thought she had found an important clue but Kaito didn't think it was that important. "I'll just place it here. Have you found anything unusual about Shuichi's body?"</p><p>    Maki placed the black ink pen next to her on the floor and continued to investigate Shuichi's body with Kaito.</p><p>    "I'll take that", Rantaro said, a little happy and took the ink pen.</p><p>    "Why'd you do that?" Shuichi asked him and looked at him a little surprised. Back from Rantaro he only received a little smile. "It could be something Kaede had before she died."</p><p>    "That's a theory", Rantaro said, his smile still wide. "Or... it could be something the murderer left behind. Oh, my God, Shuichi, you're the Ultimate Detective!"</p><p>    "I'm just an apprentice", Shuichi said a little annoyed at Rantaro, and a little jealous that he wasn't able to come up with that before Rantaro did.</p><p>    "I know", Rantaro said and Shuichi felt how Rantaro tapped the ink pen on his cheek. "I'm sorry, Mr Apprentice."</p><p>    "Stop that", Shuichi said and shoved the pen away from his cheek. A little smile left his lips, the same as Rantaro.</p><p>    "YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST FOUND", both Rantaro and Shuichi heard a loud voice say outside of the lab. The door opened and inside came the tall blonde. She had a dark blue fabric piece, a small knife, a key and a few pieces of paper in her hands.</p><p>    "Where have you been, Kaede?" asked Shuichi where he and Rantaro sat on the floor. He stood up and offered a hand to Rantaro to grab. A little mockery to past events. Rantaro took his hand and Shuichi pulled him up from the floor.</p><p>    "Okay, I'm sorry that I didn't come back the moment I found the fabric, but I may just have solved the mystery about your death", Kaede answered and looked at Shuichi with bright eyes.</p><p>    "Seriously? Tell us!" said Shuichi and Kaede opened her mouth to explain what she had discovered.</p><p>    "When I found the fabric piece, not that it was hard, the one and only murderer themself walked out of the academy. So I decided to follow them and they went into their room in the dormitory. Well inside of the room, I found some very interesting things", said Kaede and placed the stuff she had in her arms on the floor. A bit away from Maki and Kaito who continued to investigate around Shuichi's body. They had probably found the blood at that point. Rantaro and Shuichi sat down next to Kaede and let her continue. "The first thing I found was a knife on their desk", she grabbed the knife and showed Shuichi and Rantaro.</p><p>    "That must be the knife that slit Shuichi's throat", Rantaro said and took the knife from Kaede's hand as he studied it carefully.</p><p>    "What do you mean slit Shuichi's throat?" Kaede asked the boys and looked very confused. "What have I missed now?"</p><p>    "Maki and Kaito removed the rope and that's when we saw a big wound on the neck", Shuichi answered and measured with his hands. "Like this long."</p><p>    "Oh, my God", Kaede said, her voice a little shaky. "Brutal."</p><p>    "Tell me about it", Shuichi answered and looked at the fabric piece that laid on the floor, he almost immediately recognised it. "What more did you find?"</p><p>    "Well, I also found a paper that the culprit seemed to have cut out a piece of. I had my suspicions that I would find the piece in their room, but I was wrong. That's when I found something I thought would be by the body", Kaede's voice was mysterious as she continued to speak. She grabbed something from the floor and Shuichi knew what it was. "I found Shuichi's room keys."</p><p>    "That explains why Maki and Kaito didn't find the keys when they searched through the pockets", said Rantaro and placed the knife on the floor again.</p><p>    "I knew at that moment that the culprit must've put something there they didn't want any of us to find", Kaede continued and pulled up a small folded piece of paper. It looked to be from the bigger paper that was also on the floor. "I found this."</p><p>    Kaede gave Shuichi the piece of paper, he unfolded the paper so fast that he almost ripped it instead.</p><p>    'Meet me in The Ultimate Pianist's<br/>
Research lab at 1:30AM. Don't tell anyone.<br/>
Not even Maki and Kaito.<br/>
Come alone.'</p><p>    It read with black, fat and cursive letters on the folded note. Shuichi felt dumb that he fell for something so stupid. The note was an invitation to get murdered. If you even receive one of those invitations then you're already in somebody's trap.</p><p>    "That was everything I found", Kaede said and looked back and forth at Shuichi and Rantaro. "I hope that helps a little. What have you guys found?"</p><p>    "A pen", Rantaro said as he held up the black ink pen, that Maki had found, to Kaede.</p><p>    "Just that? A pen?"</p><p>    "Yup."</p><p>    "Oh Lord."</p><p>    Shuichi looked at Kaede and Rantaro as he listened to their very meaningful conversation. He then opened his mouth, "But everything that you've found, Kaede, and the pen that we found here are very important clues that can lead us to whom the killer is."</p><p>    "How does the pen lead to that?" Kaede asked him and looked at Rantaro who hit the pen lightly on his nose.</p><p>    "Don't you see how the letters are written on the paper?" answered Shuichi Kaede's question with a question himself. He pointed at the writing on the paper with a narrow finger. He took the ink pen from Rantaro's hand and made a line on the paper. The same black and fat text that already was on the paper looked identical to how the line Shuichi just made.</p><p>    "This proves that it was the killer who wrote the paper, which also proves that they dropped the ink pen here", Shuichi continued to explain for his friends.</p><p>    "How'd they drop the pen?" Rantaro asked and looked back and forth at Shuichi and Kaede.</p><p>    "If you really think about it", Shuichi began and put his hand on his chin as he was thinking. "Then it must've been when they slit my throat. Perhaps I pushed them away the same moment and that's why the wound wasn't that deep."</p><p>    "Sounds fair", Rantaro said.</p><p>    Then they sat there for a few seconds and thought through everything that had just happened. Had they just solved the murder? It seemed like they had. That's when Kaede stood up from the floor, took the black ink pen from Shuichi and ripped a new piece of the paper. She went to the big black piano, that was in the middle of the lab, rested her arms on it and began writing something on the paper.</p><p>    "Kaede, what are you doing?" Shuichi asked, he stood up and went to Kaede. Rantaro followed suit.</p><p>    "As we've already figured out who killed you, we have to make sure that the other's also figure that out", Kaede answered as she looked back at Maki and Kaito who seemed to be talking to each other. Probably about Shuichi.</p><p>    "We don't have any way of helping them during the class trial, that's why I think it's better if we write everything we've reached and give it to one of them."</p><p>    "So it's like writing down one of the closing arguments I do after every class trial?" Shuichi asked and placed his hand on his chin again.</p><p>    "Exactly like the closing arguments you do after every class trial", Kaede answered him with a smile.</p><p>    "That's genius! Let's do it!" Shuichi said and looked at Kaede with wide eyes.</p><p>    "Just don't talk yet, I want to write a little greeting first", Kaede said as she continued to write on the paper.</p><p>    "A greeting?" Rantaro asked, he crossed his arms over his chest when he looked at her with a confused look.</p><p>    "Yes, a greeting", Kaede answered him and showed Shuichi and Rantaro what she had written on the paper.</p><p>    'Hi!!! This is a little greeting from the other side<br/>
Me, Shuichi and Rantaro managed to find out who killed Shuichi!!!!<br/>
So I (Kaede) came up with the idea that we should write down what<br/>
had happened. Exactly like one of Shuichi's closing arguments!!<br/>
You'll also get every clue that we found during our investigation.<br/>
Thank me later ;)'</p><p>    That greeting really showed how happy and optimistic Kaede's personality was.</p><p>    "Okay, my hand is ready, Shuichi", Kaede said and adjusted her right hand on the paper. As to show Shuichi that she was ready to start writing, "Hit it."</p><p>    Shuichi gave Kaede a self assured smile, a little nod and opened his mouth, "Everything began when the culprit decided that they wanted to take my life. They probably wanted to kill me because I was the Ultimate Detective and because I've solved every case so far. Though, to kill me, they'd have to get me to be alone. To do that, they ripped out a piece of paper and wrote a note to me telling me to meet them in the Ultimate Pianist's Research Lab at 1:30AM. Meanwhile the culprit began to plan the murder scene. They put a rope in the hook at the ceiling in the window in the Research Lab as their escape route after they'd killed me. They also had an extra rope with them, in case something would go wrong, because they had decided to slit my throat.</p><p>    Even if I am the Ultimate Detective, there are many cases where detectives walk into a trap without thinking. That's what happened to me this time. At 1:30AM, the decided time, I went inside the Research Lab. No one was there and I stood in the middle of the room as I waited. The culprit then came inside the lab and was ready to slit my throat, but I managed to push them away. That's why the wound didn't get so deep. When I pushed them, they happened to drop a very important clue without noticing. The ink pen that the culprit used to write the note to me.</p><p>    When the culprit realized that I wouldn't die because of the wound on my throat, they had to go to their plan B. At that moment I probably must've puked because of the wound. They took the extra rope they'd prepared beforehand and choked me to death. When I finally had died they made sure that it looked like I had committed suicide. They took my room keys that I always put in my left uniform pocket. When the culprit had made sure that the scene was done they had to use their escape route. They turned to the window and went down the rope. But when they went down their clothing seemed to have gotten caught in something, because they dropped a piece of fabric that landed on the ground. They didn't seem to notice it.</p><p>    When they were at the ground they knew they had to get rid of the rope. They tried to pull the rope off the hook as they stood on the ground, that's when something happened the culprit probably didn't suspect would happen. The rope got stuck on another hook that was in the window. They must've given up after a few tries to get it away from that hook as well. That's why they left the rope as it was and went back to their room. There they left my room keys and the knife that they had used.</p><p>    Though they killer probably didn't suspect that three ghosts, whereas one of them being the killer's victim, would figure the whole murder out before they could've done something about it. They also figured out the identity of the killer. As the killer is no one other than Tsumugi Shirogane."</p>
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